Tax collector will soon issue driver’s licenses

Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 2:48 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 2:48 p.m.

In a few months, Alachua County Tax Collector Von Fraser will assume the responsibility of doling out driver's licenses to area residents — a move expected to bring improved customer service and increased fees.

The Tax Collector's Office will phase in its state-mandated management of driver's license services in February, when it will offer them at one of three designated locations. The move will lead to the closure of the state office that now provides those services, located at 5830 NW 34th St. in Gainesville, said Chief Deputy Tax Collector John Power. Its 11 employees will work at the Tax Collector's Office instead.

"We need their expertise and knowledge, and we want them," he said. "The Tax Collector's Office has full respect for those staff members that have been running the state office because they have been understaffed for a long time, and their facility is not conducive for customer service."

Power said he expects the change will decrease wait times for driver's licenses, which can sometimes be an hour or more at the local state office. By mid-2013, people will be able to acquire or renew their licenses at three locations instead of one, and there will be 35-plus employees working those counters instead of 11.

Power said he hopes shorter waits will encourage more county residents to use local offices. Last year, nearly 7,000 related transactions for Alachua County residents happened at locations outside the county, such as in Starke or Ocala, he said.

Most Florida tax collectors already provide driver's license services, and the local office is following suit because of a state mandate. A 2011 law set a June 2015 deadline for tax collectors to do so.

The shift is more cost-effective because it brings in fee money for tax collectors and eliminates the state's need to maintain related offices, said Kirsten Olsen-Doolan, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

"It's using resources more efficiently," she said. "It works out well all the way around."

The new responsibility will bring with it an increased workload and workforce that will cost the local tax collector's office about $400,000 a year, while initial annual revenues will total about $350,000, Power said. The state is expected to raise tax collectors' revenue after the 2015 deadline but the details — including whether public fees will increase or tax collectors will just receive a bigger cut of the current haul — are being worked out.

When the tax collector takes over, license fees will increase $6.25 per transaction, he said. Per statute, for example, an original Class E license costs $48 but will cost $54.25, with $6.25 going to the tax collector and $48 to the state after the local office assumes control.

The office, which provides vehicle registration and various tax services, fulfills about 150,000 walk-in transactions annually. Power anticipates another 50,000 once it offers driver's licenses.

Starting in February, the tax collector's downtown Gainesville branch, located at the County Administration Building at 12 SE 1st St., will offer these new services. By mid-March, it will provide them at its office at 5801 NW 34th St., which sits across the street from the state office. Afterward, the state office will close, but its driving course will still be used for tests. The office might be reopened later for a different purpose, Power said. The final location at 3207 SW 35th Blvd. will offer driver's licenses in May.

The Tax Collector's Office has been cross-training its staff and will do so for the 11 state employees as well.

It also renovated its NW 34th Street office, adding two more service areas to shorten wait times, said Donna Johnson, executive director of public service with the Tax Collector's Office. The staff at this location expect to get the biggest chunk of driver's license customers.

A staff transition team has worked on the shift for more than a year with the goal of engineering a seamless transition, Power said.

"We believe that bringing these services on board … will allow us to become a one-stop shop for many government services," he said.

<p>In a few months, Alachua County Tax Collector Von Fraser will assume the responsibility of doling out driver's licenses to area residents — a move expected to bring improved customer service and increased fees.</p><p>The Tax Collector's Office will phase in its state-mandated management of driver's license services in February, when it will offer them at one of three designated locations. The move will lead to the closure of the state office that now provides those services, located at 5830 NW 34th St. in Gainesville, said Chief Deputy Tax Collector John Power. Its 11 employees will work at the Tax Collector's Office instead.</p><p>"We need their expertise and knowledge, and we want them," he said. "The Tax Collector's Office has full respect for those staff members that have been running the state office because they have been understaffed for a long time, and their facility is not conducive for customer service."</p><p>Power said he expects the change will decrease wait times for driver's licenses, which can sometimes be an hour or more at the local state office. By mid-2013, people will be able to acquire or renew their licenses at three locations instead of one, and there will be 35-plus employees working those counters instead of 11.</p><p>Power said he hopes shorter waits will encourage more county residents to use local offices. Last year, nearly 7,000 related transactions for Alachua County residents happened at locations outside the county, such as in Starke or Ocala, he said.</p><p>Most Florida tax collectors already provide driver's license services, and the local office is following suit because of a state mandate. A 2011 law set a June 2015 deadline for tax collectors to do so.</p><p>The shift is more cost-effective because it brings in fee money for tax collectors and eliminates the state's need to maintain related offices, said Kirsten Olsen-Doolan, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.</p><p>"It's using resources more efficiently," she said. "It works out well all the way around."</p><p>The new responsibility will bring with it an increased workload and workforce that will cost the local tax collector's office about $400,000 a year, while initial annual revenues will total about $350,000, Power said. The state is expected to raise tax collectors' revenue after the 2015 deadline but the details — including whether public fees will increase or tax collectors will just receive a bigger cut of the current haul — are being worked out.</p><p>When the tax collector takes over, license fees will increase $6.25 per transaction, he said. Per statute, for example, an original Class E license costs $48 but will cost $54.25, with $6.25 going to the tax collector and $48 to the state after the local office assumes control.</p><p>The office, which provides vehicle registration and various tax services, fulfills about 150,000 walk-in transactions annually. Power anticipates another 50,000 once it offers driver's licenses.</p><p>Starting in February, the tax collector's downtown Gainesville branch, located at the County Administration Building at 12 SE 1st St., will offer these new services. By mid-March, it will provide them at its office at 5801 NW 34th St., which sits across the street from the state office. Afterward, the state office will close, but its driving course will still be used for tests. The office might be reopened later for a different purpose, Power said. The final location at 3207 SW 35th Blvd. will offer driver's licenses in May.</p><p>The Tax Collector's Office has been cross-training its staff and will do so for the 11 state employees as well.</p><p>It also renovated its NW 34th Street office, adding two more service areas to shorten wait times, said Donna Johnson, executive director of public service with the Tax Collector's Office. The staff at this location expect to get the biggest chunk of driver's license customers.</p><p>A staff transition team has worked on the shift for more than a year with the goal of engineering a seamless transition, Power said.</p><p>"We believe that bringing these services on board … will allow us to become a one-stop shop for many government services," he said.</p><p><i>Morgan Watkins is a Gainesville Sun staff writer.</i></p>